Blossoming Young Khmer Women
Blossoming Young Khmer Women with it’s previous name the ROYA Young Mothers Program addresses the complex needs of young parents (ages 16-24) from highly-traumatized and isolated refugee and immigrant families. The program includes:
Full time case management.
Weekly individual therapy sessions.
A weekly mother and child bonding program.
A weekly mother’s support group with children playdates.
Regular outdoor and nature outings.
Regular educational workshops (including family planning, nutrition, pregnancy, breast feeding, food safety and encouraging positive communication).
All services are offered free of charge, with interpreters provided.
Our goal is to provide needed resources, mentoring, and support to end the cycle of trauma which causes violence, sexual exploitation and alcohol and drug abuse among underprivileged youth from refugee and immigrant families in East and West Oakland.
“Empowering every woman in every way.”
Two Outreach Workers at CERI, started the Blossoming Young Khmer Women’s Group for that very reason in the Fall of 2019. Focused on Cambodian adult women, the group brings together women ranging in ages from their 30s to 50s; women who were born in the U.S., recently immigrated from Cambodia, and who arrived in Oakland as refugees after the Khmer Rouge genocide; women who identify as mothers, workers, students, queer, and disabled.
Every woman is accepted. Some women are learning English while others are learning Khmer, and they teach each other. Members support one another to go to school, take the next steps in their careers, and grow as leaders in their homes and communities. In addition to art activities, you can find this group teaching each other Cambodian recipes and cooking together, taking field trips, dancing and laughing, and leaving plenty of time to share stories.